Cover image courtesy of Coolmore
Across the nine yearling sales in Australia and New Zealand, 33 stallions with their first Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds currently racing had progeny sell at the various sales. We covered the first season sires in a previous edition.
With 4114 yearlings sold at an average price of $149,000 for all stallions, the second season sires were responsible for 750 of those yearlings (18 per cent of all yearlings sold) at an average of $113,000, lower than the overall average. Note that yearling sale prices don’t include GST, so GST has also been removed from any service fees mentioned.
| Total | 5846 | 666 | 1066 | 4114 | $613,721,000 | $149,179 |
| First Season Sires | 976 | 112 | 177 | 687 | $101,570,000 | $147,846 |
| Second Season Sires | 1058 | 114 | 194 | 750 | $84,833,000 | $113,111 |
Table: The market share which second season sired yearlings held in 2025 in Australia and New Zealand
With 33 second season sires with progeny offered at the sales, the top five stallions who achieved the highest average across all nine sales was led by Wootton Bassett (GB) who made headlines with three seven-figure yearlings.
| Wootton Bassett (GB) | 98 | 81 | 5 | 12 | 64 | $ 24,015,000 | $ 375,234 | $ 340,000 | $ 65,000 | 5.8 | 5.2 |
| Ole Kirk | 99 | 72 | 13 | 6 | 53 | $ 10,052,500 | $ 189,670 | $ 170,000 | $ 50,000 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| Farnan | 112 | 94 | 15 | 15 | 64 | $ 10,295,000 | $ 160,859 | $ 120,000 | $ 50,000 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| Lucky Vega (Ire) | 116 | 36 | 5 | 9 | 22 | $ 3,507,500 | $ 159,432 | $ 150,000 | $ 17,500 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| Bivouac | 95 | 77 | 5 | 13 | 59 | $ 7,176,000 | $ 121,627 | $ 100,000 | $ 60,000 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Hello Youmzain (Fr) | 84 | 56 | 5 | 7 | 44 | $ 4,081,000 | $ 92,750 | $ 80,000 | $ 30,000 | 3.1 | 2.7 |
| Peltzer | 62 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | $ 868,000 | $ 86,800 | $ 80,000 | $ 15,000 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Fierce Impact (Jpn) | 118 | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | $ 1,547,000 | $ 81,421 | $ 40,000 | $ 15,000 | 5.4 | 2.7 |
| Ghaiyyath (Ire) | 56 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 19 | $ 1,495,000 | $ 78,684 | $ 65,000 | $ 25,000 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| King's Legacy | 109 | 59 | 3 | 15 | 41 | $ 2,995,000 | $ 73,049 | $ 60,000 | $ 30,000 | 2.4 | 2 |
Table: Top 10 second season sires by average across Australia and New Zealand yearling sales, fees displayed without GST for comparison to yearling prices
Wootton Bassett leads the market
Unique in the market as a proven sire in Europe and with his first crop in the Southern Hemisphere now 2-year-olds, Wootton Bassett continued to impress buyers who splashed an average of $375,000 for his 64 yearlings sold. He stood his second season in Australia at a fee of $65,000, which has a 5.8 times return of investment based on his average yearling price, so this represents a strong profit for breeders. Based on the median, his return on investment only drops to 5.2 times his service fee, suggesting that investors across the board were able to turn a profit.
Wootton Bassett (GB) | Standing at Coolmore
He had three seven-figure yearlings across the sales season with Milburn Creek selling a colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $1.7 million to Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock, while the other two were at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and both were purchased by Coolmore, being a colt sold by Yarraman Park Stud for $1.4 million and a colt sold by Ridgmont Stud for $1.2 million.
“His future is enormously bright here. He’s had an amazing start in the Southern Hemisphere with six black-type horses from his first 15 runners with two Group 1 2-year-olds in Wodeton and State Visit who is well fancied in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes,” said Coolmore’s Colm Santry.
“We already know he’s a world-class stallion. We haven’t seen a stallion do what he did in Europe ever with four Group 1-winning juveniles in one year, outperforming previous champions like Galileo. I think buyers and breeders got a huge amount of confidence in the stallion coming into the yearling sale season on the back of those European results, who were his first crop of foals conceived at Coolmore.”
“We already know he’s (Wootton Bassett) a world-class stallion. We haven’t seen a stallion do what he did in Europe ever with four Group 1-winning juveniles in one year, outperforming previous champions like Galileo.” - Colm Santry
Coolmore purchased Wootton Bassett from Haras d’Etreham with his first crop of Coolmore-Ireland conceived foals racing as 2-year-olds in 2024. It’s a long way from his initial Haras d’Etreham crop of 23 foals who were conceived at a fee of €6,000 (AU$10,800) which included triple Group 1 winner and now proven sire Almanzor (Fr).
His four Group 1 2-year-old winners in 2024 were G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Henri Matisse (Ire), G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Camille Pissarro (Ire), and G1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud winner Tennessee Stud (Ire), and G1 Critérium International winner Twain (Ire).
“Wootton Bassett has also had Gai Waterhouse’s older horse, Royal Patronage, flying the flag for his older horses here. His stock have great longevity and train on. The horse has been sought after at all yearling sales this year, with huge demand as he’s a top stallion.
“It’s also important to note that Wootton Bassett gets a great sales horse, they are very good looking yearlings and they sell accordingly. And he’s a total outcross to Danehill mares here," added Santry.
Ole Kirk’s exciting beginning
Ole Kirk has stayed at the same $50,000 fee for his first four seasons at stud, and his second crop, born in 2023, resulted in 99 foals, of which 53 sold as yearlings at an average of $189,670. This was a healthy return on investment of 3.8 times the service fee, based on average price in the ring. His top lot sold for $700,000 being the colt from Pop Girl (Snitzel) who was sold by North Bloodstock to PR Bloodstock at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“Ole Kirk was in a unique position where his second crop were offered while his 2-year-olds were on an upward trend, and his on-track success was reflected in the sale ring with his average and median both increasing on last year,” said Vinery’s Harry Roach.
“Ole Kirk was in a unique position where his second crop were offered while his 2-year-olds were on an upward trend, and his on-track success was reflected in the sale ring with his average and median both increasing on last year.” - Harry Roach
“Physically he’s quite consistent with the style of yearling he gets which was shown in his first crop and again in his second crop. They were there to be sold well as physicals and he’s backed up with the promise on track and there’s a direct correlation between the two.
Ole Kirk | Standing at Vinery Stud
“He’s got some good representation coming up in the next seven days with two metro runners on Wednesday at Warwick Farm, and Next Jen running in the Champagne on Saturday.”
Next Jen won on debut and was fifth last start in the G3 TL Baillieu Handicap. Ole Kirk’s eight winners to date include G3 winner King Kirk, R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner O’ Ole, and Listed winner Prestige Forever.
Farnan proves his worth
Farnan’s top seven sales in 2025 were all at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, even though his stock didn’t really hit their straps until the autumn. He had North England out early winning the Golden Gift in November, who recently converted his promise into a stakes win in the recent G3 Kindergarten Stakes. King Of Pop won the G3 Black Opal to make his way into the G1 Golden Slipper field, while Recuperato won the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at just her third start this autumn.
Farnan | Standing at Kia Ora Stud
Farnan had 112 foals in his second crop with 64 finding new homes as yearlings at an average of $160,800. The best of his crop was highly sought after, giving a return on investment of 3.2 times his service fee based on averages, with a 2.4 times return on investment based on his median price. His top lot was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds to James Harron Bloodstock for $750,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Lucky Vega boosted by Within The Law
Performance makes all the difference, and Yulong’s Lucky Vega (Ire) demonstrated that with his first crop of juveniles led by Within The Law who was an unbeaten pre-Christmas juvenile with two wins, both in Listed races. His figures leaped up for his second season, with Yulong reporting that his first crop averaged $40,000 at the yearling sales of 2024. This year, his 22 sales have averaged $159,000 off a $17,500 fee - by far the best return on investment for those visiting him in his second season, with an ROI of 9.1 times his service fee, based on averages.
“Lucky Vega is a through and through Yulong product. We purchased him at Tattersalls as a yearling and he was a Group 1-winning 2-year-old for us in Europe trained by Jessica Harrington. We retired him and brought him here, but he was fairly unexposed to the breeding market being a Group 1 winner in Europe. Yulong were also an infant farm at the time, and we were pleased that breeders had an immense response to Lucky Vega when they saw him,” said Harry King. Yulong’s first stallion, Grunt (NZ), first stood in 2019, while Lucky Vega joined the team in 2021.
Lucky Vega (Ire) | Standing at Yulong
“We’ve only seen a small per cent of his first crop (at the races) and he’s doing it on both sides of the Tasman which is exciting. At the yearling sales, he’s keeping up with the big boys Ole Kirk and Farnan who were both champions of the turf here, and to be competing against them is something we are very proud of and something we can see continuing in the future.”
Lucky Vega had 84 live foals in his first crop, and 15 of those have raced (17 per cent) for three winners including Within The Law, whose three wins have netted her connections over $1.2 million, as well as Vega For Luck (NZ) who is stakes-placed in New Zealand with earnings over NZ$220,000.
“In his second season, his numbers increased which is a reflection of the types he’s leaving, what he’s doing on the track as well as what educators and trainers are seeing in their stables. And he’s getting results, on track and at the sales, with both colts and fillies. Pound for pound it’s hard to argue against his value, and it’s important to note that he nicks well with Danehill line mares too.”
“... he’s (Lucky Vega) getting results, on track and at the sales, with both colts and fillies. Pound for pound it’s hard to argue against his value, and it’s important to note that he nicks well with Danehill line mares too.” - Harry King
Lucky Vega had 116 live foals in his second crop at a slightly reduced fee of $17,500, down from $20,000 in his first year. His auction results have lifted massively across the board to achieve an average over $159,000 in 2025.
“We also take great pride in seeing our clients do well with his stock. Yarran Thoroughbreds sold their highest ever yearling this year with a Lucky Vega colt who made $250,000 at Melbourne, and Hallmark Stud did a terrific job pinhooking a filly from us.”
Hallmark Stud’s filly from Outlook (Fastnet Rock) sold for NZ$240,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, having been a $30,000 weanling purchase from Yulong.
Bivouac building across the season
Bivouac had 95 live foals in his second season, maintaining his first season fee of $60,000, and achieved a good result for breeders with 59 selling for an average at just over $120,000. His yearlings offered an ROI of 2 times his service fee, a figure that will no doubt lift next season after the autumn exploits of his first crop.
His first crop of 2-year-olds began with pre-Christmas G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Intention (NZ), then added G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Beiwacht in the autumn and Listed Supremacy Stakes winner Luana Miss in the past fortnight.
“He has started off really well with two individual Group winners plus another stakes winner, and it looks like they’ve got some talent and speed, much like he did. They’ve sold extremely well second crop, probably better than his first crop, thanks to his results and we felt they were better types this year for whatever reason,” said Darley’s Alastair Pulford.
“He (Bivouac) has started off really well with two individual Group winners plus another stakes winner, and it looks like they’ve got some talent and speed, much like he did.” - Alastair Pulford
“His sales season got better and better as time progressed and Easter was his best result with four horses all making over $300,000. Ciaron Maher is a big fan and brought a number of them this year.
“We are pleased with the way the market is realising how good they are. He didn’t have one massive lot boosting his average either, they were just consistently good looking horses that the buying bench were enthusiastic about.”
Bivouac | Standing at Darley NSW
Bivouac’s top lot was a filly offered by Widden Stud, who sold at Inglis Easter for $380,000, while Ciaron Maher purchased seven Bivouac yearlings this year.
While the stock of the second season sires didn’t sell as well as the whole yearling crop in Australia and New Zealand, the ones sired by second season sires with precocious proven stakes winners stood out of the pack and performed well in the ring.
